At ESPN, Katie Strang spoke with Judge Arthur Boylan who said that he really wants a shot at solving the CBA issues separating the NHL and NHLPA.

Boylan is a season ticket holder for the Minnesota Wild and told Strang that he would volunteer to mediate talks for free just to get the deal done.

He said that the two sides need to understand that for better or worse the fate of the league is up to them, “They know the future of the game is in their hands. They’d really be blowing this thing if it doesn’t get resolved, it being the second lockout in recent memory. That would be a real disaster for everybody.”

Boylan was in charge of mediation talks between the NFL and NFLPA during their lockout last year.

Strang said that Boylan encouraged the two sides to always be talking and that his chief responsibility was to see who meshed with who”a large part of Boylan’s job was not just to find traction in negotiations but to also determine which lawyers worked well with who, which owners and which players were helpful to the process.”

Strang adds “Often times the two sides would stay at the same hotel, he said, and even when they met with fierce resistance, he insisted the two sides “break bread” after sessions. Whether it was joining up for dinner or grabbing a few cocktails, Boylan wanted the two sides to maintain communication. ”

An explanation of how the NHL used mediation in the past can be found, HERE.